How safe/nice is Tremont St. near Northeastern? (Boston, Dudley: neighborhood, buying)

[KatherineJP]

I am considering buying an existing small business on Tremont St. near Northeastern, between the Ruggles & Mass Ave. T stops. Although I have lived in Boston for a few years I'm not intimately familiar with that particular neighborhood. I am curious to know what people think of that stretch of Tremont and the surrounding area. How safe is it? What is the pedestrian traffic like? I assume it's mostly students living there?

I have always been under the impression that the east side of Northeastern (the Roxbury side) is not that great an area, but perhaps that close to campus it's fine?

[goyguy]

It's never been that great or terrible of an area, but it's somewhat better now than it was ten years or so ago. The Piano Factory and other residential developments notwithstanding, for the most part the wholesale gentrification of the South End pretty much stopped at Mass. Ave. (The persistent presence of large amounts of public and subsidized housing between there and Dudley Station saw to that.) It's true that NU has (re)developed the section nearest campus a good bit, but rendering a community livable for college students only swaps one form of ghetto for another IMHO. Whether the population is mainly degree-seekers or impoverished "minorities," in either case you're looking at a transient and apathetic subset of humanity, a neighborhood of strangers with little or no interest in the well-being of the community or their fellow residents.
So, it'd depend on what sort of business it is that you're looking to purchase. If it's a retail establishment, prepare for significant "shrinkage." Many college kids are no better than your stereotypical ghetto dweller when it comes to having an urge to shoplift. And robbery would be a concern if the operation keeps nighttime hours. But with those risks taken into account, the return on the investment would still be good. Tremont gets a lot of foot traffic. And if the long-established club at 888 is on the market and what you're eyeing, know that a loyal clientele awaits its reopening. I had some fun times there back in the days when it was known as Tinker's.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by KatherineJP

I am considering buying an existing small business on Tremont St. near Northeastern, between the Ruggles & Mass Ave. T stops. Although I have lived in Boston for a few years I'm not intimately familiar with that particular neighborhood. I am curious to know what people think of that stretch of Tremont and the surrounding area. How safe is it? What is the pedestrian traffic like? I assume it's mostly students living there?

I have always been under the impression that the east side of Northeastern (the Roxbury side) is not that great an area, but perhaps that close to campus it's fine?

I would really check it out b4 you invest. Yikes, I did go to school in Roxbuy,
and, that area, was in the sixtys, somewhat bad, not real bad. However to invest, I would say no. You would as the other poster did say, check out crime, break ins, and the cost to insure what you do have. Have you considered the mission hill area? I always did like that place.